Standing at the heart of Toronto’s Financial Core, the EY Tower beautifully harmonizes new and old. Architects Kohn Pederson Fox Associates and WZMH Architects aimed to meet ambitious sustainability goals and manage a sensitive historic reconstruction all in one project. Today, the LEED Platinum Certified glass tower successfully integrates an Art Deco icon, complementing neighboring structures while signaling the future of an Ontario business hub. Guardian SunGuard® low-E coated glass helped make it possible.
Constructed in 1928, the Concourse Building was a 16-story structure in downtown Toronto. The building was clad in buff brick and limestone and adorned with intricately-crafted Art Deco flourishes.
The EY Tower architects knew that glass selection would play an important role in honoring the past while creating an eye-catching, efficient addition to the Toronto skyline. Their flexible approach integrated the restored Concourse Building façade at the base of a 40-story office tower. Reflective glass on the prominent skyscraper would prompt passerby to look upwards, while historic architectural elements would keep them connected at ground level.
Clad with low-E coated glass, the EY Tower fins add unique dimension and solar control abilities to the façade. Photo: Tom Arban Photography.
The design incorporated slender vertical fins that would drape over the tower and down its east and west sides. The fins would add dimensionality to the flat glass surface, while helping to control solar heat—but only with the right coated glass solution.
Occupant wellbeing was also a core design consideration for the team. Anticipating the effects of harsh Toronto winters on the building, the architects sought ways to prevent heat loss. Understanding the role natural light plays in supporting personal wellbeing and productivity, the team aimed to provide ample daylighting for the office tower’s future occupants. They found an answer in Guardian SunGuard low-E coatings.
The architects selected Guardian SunGuard® SuperNeutral® 68 and AG 50 low-E coated glass to clad the tower. SN 68 offers an extraordinary combination of high light and low heat transmittance—all with a neutral look. Meanwhile, AG 50 provides a hint of reflectivity to enhance the beauty of the new tower. The combined benefits of the Guardian SunGuard solutions enable breathtaking views of the city, plentiful natural light and optimal comfort for occupants in the EY Tower.
Completed in 2017, the EY Tower adds a new chapter to the neighborhood’s unique story. The decision to use Guardian SunGuard coatings helped the project meet its goals to artfully and efficiently mix past and present.
To learn more about how Guardian SunGuard low-E coatings can help you with your next project, visit guardianglass.com/commercial.
